Tuesday, March 15, 2011

MACON, Ga. - Jacksonville and ETSU begin play in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament tonight. Both contests, ETSU hosting Furman JU at East Carolina air on Fox College Sports Broadband.

Furman vs ETSU 7:00 p.m. ET
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
ETSU/MSHA Athletic Center/Johnson City Tenn.

Quick Hits

* ETSU qualified for postseason play for the third consecutive season - a first for ETSU since making four straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 1989 through 1992.

* ETSU and Furman played as Southern Conference rivals from 1979 to 2005. The two have met a total of 46 times withthe series is tied at 23.

* Spanning more than 10 years, dating back to December 5, 2000, ETSU owns a 41-3 record at the ETSU/MSHA Athletic Center against non-conference opponents - losing only to Fresno State in 2004, Morehead State in 2008 and Murray State in 2009. The Morehead State and Murray State programs each went onto the NCAA Tournament that season.

* Isiah Brown enters the CIT second on ETSU’s single-season block list, with 67. He trails Zakee Wadood’s single-season record of 70, set in 2003-04.

* ETSU’s five regular starters, Mike Smith, Micah Williams, Isiah Brown, Adam Sollazzo and Justin Tubbs combine to average 61 points per game - best among Atlantic Sun starting lineups. ETSU starters average a combined 157.4 minutes per game, 18th in the nation.

* Mike Smith, the Atlantic Sun’s Player of the Year has increased his career scoring total to 1,709 points and his rebound total to 764. Only 10 other active players have accumulated at least 1,700 points and 750 rebounds.

Jacksonville vs East Carolina 8:00 p.m. ET
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum/Greenville, N.C.

Quick Hits

* This is the fifth meeting all-time between the Jacksonvillle and East Carolina and the first since 1973. JU has won all four previous meetings. The Dolphins have won twice in Greenville.

* With the bid to the CIT, JU extends its streak of consecutive postseason appearances to three (2009 and 2010 NIT) - the second-longest streak in program history. The record is five, set from 1970-1974.

* The Dolphins are seeking to become the first group in program history to record postseason wins in consecutive seasons. Jacksonville beat Arizona State in the first round of the 2010 NIT - defeating the Sun Devils on a last-second shot by Ben Smith.

* With a win, Jacksonville would have consecutive 20-win seasons, the first time that has been accomplished since the 1972-73 and 1973-74 seasons.

* Jacksonville head coach Cliff Warren enters the CIT with 91 career wins - one shy of tying Joe Williams for third place on the all-time wins list.

* The Dolphins have racked up 249 steals through 30 games - the fourth-highest single-season total in school history. The school record for steals in a season is 279 set by the 2009-10 squad. This year’s squad needs four steals to pass the 2006-07 team for third place and eight steals to move into second place.

* Ayron Hardy is one of four active players to have recorded 1,000 points, 200 steals and 100 blocks. He joins Morehead State’s Kenneth Faried, Virginia Tech’s Jeff Allen and Duquesne’s Damian Saunders on that list.